2 Chronicles 32:4

4 a large crowd was gathered to block all the springs and the stream flowing through the countryside. They reasoned, "Why should the kings of Ashur come and find an ample supply of water?"

2 Chronicles 32:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:4

So there was gathered much people together
At the instance of Hezekiah, his nobles and officers:

who stopped all the fountains;
perhaps by laying planks over them, and earth upon them, so that it could not be discerned there were any fountains there:

and the brook that ran through the midst of the land;
which, according to Kimchi, was Gihon, ( 2 Chronicles 32:30 ) , which was near Jerusalem; the stream of this very probably they turned into channels under ground, whereby it was brought into the city into reservoirs there provided, that that might have a supply during the siege, while the enemy was distressed for want of it:

saying, why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?
by which means they would be able to carry on the siege to a great length, when otherwise they would be obliged to raise it quickly: mention is made of kings of Assyria, though there was but one, with whom there might be petty kings, or tributary ones; and, besides, as he boasted, his princes were altogether kings, ( Isaiah 10:8 ) .

2 Chronicles 32:4 In-Context

2 When Hizkiyahu saw that Sancheriv had come and intended to attack Yerushalayim,

3 he consulted his leading men and military advisers about sealing off the water in the springs outside the city. After gaining their support,

4 a large crowd was gathered to block all the springs and the stream flowing through the countryside. They reasoned, "Why should the kings of Ashur come and find an ample supply of water?"

5 Then, taking courage, he rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, raised towers on it, built another wall outside that, strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made a large quantity of spears and shields.

6 He appointed military commanders over the people, then gathered them before him in the open space at the city gate and spoke these words of encouragement to them: